Shoe bottom unit



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aten'tecl Aug. 24, 1937 UNITED STATES amano @ATENE QFEQE SHOE BOTTOM UNIT Application May 28, 1936, Serial No. 82,283

9 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in shoe bottom units. The present application is in part a continuation of my earlier application Serial No. 600,921, led March 24, 1932, upon which United States Letters Patent No. 2,065,463 was granted December 22, 1936.

The present invention provides a shoe bottom unit or reinforced insole of an improved construction particularly adapted for use in the manufacture of shoes the uppers of which are to be permanently secured in overlasted position by means of cement and are also to be stapled or otherwise temporarily secured to the insoles to hold them in place during the setting of the lasting cement. The improved shoe bottom unit herein illustrated comprises a relatively flexible insole which is provided with a lasting lip and which is split from its rear extremity to a location in the vicinity of the ball line to divide its heel and shank portion into upper and lower flaps or layers which are integral with the forepart of the insole, a relatively stiif heel and shank reinforcing piece which is interposed between the upper and lower insole flaps or layers and a shank stilfener which is also located between the flaps or layers in the shank portion of the insole. The insole may be composed of leather or other suitable flexible insole material and the lasting lip may advantageously be formed integrally with the substance of the insole or, if desired, it may consist of a tape or a plurality of tapes which may be stitched or otherwise secured to the lower or lasting side of the insole. Preferably the shank stilfener is secured to the reinforcing piece and the latter is secured by means of cement to both the upper and lower flaps or layers of the insole and the latter, together with the reinforcing piece, are molded to adapt the insole unit to fit the bottom of a last. The arrangement of the reinforcing piece and the shank stifiener between upper and lower layers or flaps of the insole is such that neither the reinforcing piece nor the shank stiffener is exposed at the lower or lasting side of the insole unit so as to interfere with the securing of an effective cement bond between the overlasted upper margins of the insole. Moreover, the arrangement is further such that the upper or foot-engaging side of the insole is left in normal condition, its upper surface being continuous and uninterrupted from heel to toe so that a sock lining may be dispensed with entirely. This is a particularly desirable condition in cases where the insole is made of leather inasmuch as the grain surface of the leather will be exposed to view throughout the full length of the insole inside of the shoe, thus adding substantially to the appearance of the shoe.

The invention will now be explained with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my improved (Cl. Sii-22) shoe bottom unit or reinforced insole showing the upper side of the unit;

Fig. 2 is a perspective View of an insole unit of modified construction showing the lower side thereof;

Fig. 31s a sectional view taken along the line II-III of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional View of the shank portion of the insole unit shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 4 but showing an insole unit provided with a lasting lip of modified construction.

Referring to the drawing, the improved shoe bottom unit or reinforced insole 30 therein shown comprises a relatively flexible insole member 32, a relatively stiff reinforcing member or heel and shank piece 35i, and a metallic shank stiifener 36. The insole member 32 may be made of leather or any suitable flexible insole material and died out or rounded to the contour of a full length insole. The heel and shank piece 3s is composed of stiff and readily moldable material such, for example, as iberboard or leatherboard. As shown, the heel and shank piece 34 is shaped to conform in lateral edge contour to the heel and shank portion of the insole and it is tapered to a feather edge at its forward end. The illustrated shank stiffener Sii consists of a narrow strip of resilient metal which is initially curved lengthwise to correspond to the longitudinal curvature of the bottom of a last. stiifener is properly located relatively to the heel and shank piece and is secured to it before the latter is assembled with the insole.

In order to provide upper and lower insole members or layers in the heel and shank portion of the insole between which to insert the reinforcing piece and the shank stiffener, the insole is split lengthwise from its rear extremity forwardly to a location in the vicinity of the ball line into upper and lower flaps iii and 132, respectively, which are integral with the forepart of the insole. Before the reinforcing piece and the shank stiifener are assembled with the insole the upper and lower sides of the reinforcing piece are coated with adhesive, such for example as rubber latex, and a coat of similar adhesive is applied to the inner surfaces of the upper and lower insole aps lll and d2. After the adhesive coatings have set suiiciently to render them tacky the reinforcing piece with shank stifener secured thereto, as, for example, .by means of tacks 38, is inserted between the upper and lower insole members or flaps lill and #i2 and the edges of the reinforcing piece are alined with the corresponding edges of the insole flaps. Alternatively the shank stiener 3G may have its opposite end portions inserted through apertures in the lower insole member or ap (i2, as indicated in Fig. 2. Thereafter', the assembled parts of the Preferably, the shank o 50 shank portions of narrow shank shoes.

insole unit are subjected to molding pressure which secures the reinforcing piece to the insole flaps and molds the reinforcing piece and the adjacent portions of the insole both longitudinally and transversely to adapt them to conform to the corresponding curvatures of the bottom of a last. Advantageously the molding may be effected by the use of molding forms which may be incorporated in a molding machine, such as that disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 2,065,465, granted December 22, 1936, in the name of the present applicant.

Either before or after the parts of the insole unit have been secured together and molded the 5 insole may be channeled to provide upon its lower surface a channel flap which is adapted to be raised and set in position to constitute a lasting lip dil. Preferably, however, in order to avoid any interference with the above-mentioned molding operation, the channel flap will not be raised until after the insole has been molded. The opposite lateral edges along the shank portion of the unit, as herein shown, have been reduced so as to provide beveled surfaces 46, the angle of the bevel being such as to blend with the profile of the last.

Instead of forming a lasting lip integrally with the substance of the insole it may be desirable to secure a tape or a plurality of tapes to the lower side of the insole to constitute the lasting lip. As shown in Fig. 5, strips of tape 50 may be secured by means of suitable fastening devices, such as stitches 52, to the insole 320, the stitches passing also through the reinforcing piece in the shank portion of the unit. As indicated, the tapes may be stitched along their central median lines and later the portions of the tapes at the opposite sides of the stitches raised and if desired cemented together to provide an upstanding lip.

It will be appreciated that the reinforcing piece `and the shank stiffener in the above-described insole unit are so disposed that they cannot interfere with the operation of cement lasting the upper and that, particularly in cases where the insole is composed of leather, the obtaining of a satisfactory cement bond between the upper and the insole is insured on account of the fact that a leather surface of ample width is provided for the reception of the lasting cement even along the Moreover, the disposition of the reinforcing piece and the shank stiffener is further such as to permit the formation of a continuous lasting lip along the shank and forepart of the lower side of the 5 insole while, at the same time, leaving the upper side of the insole entirely uncovered in its heel and shank portion so as to improve the condition and appearance of the inside of the shoe.

Having described my invention, what I claim o as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A shoe bottom unit comprising an insole having its heel and shank portion divided into upper and lower members formed integrally with 5 the forepart of the insole, a heel and shank reinforcing piece interposed between said members and secured tothe insole, said reinforcing piece being stiffer than the insole and being coextensive with said divided insole members, and a shank stiifener associated with said reinforcing piece and located between the latter and one of saidV members.

2. A shoe bottom unit comprising a relatively flexible insole divided along its heel and shank portions into upper and lower layers, a relatively stiff heel and shank reinforcing piece secured to the insole between said layers, and a resilient shank stiffener secured to said heel and shank piece.

3. A shoe bottom unit comprising a relatively flexible insole divided along its heel and shank portions intol upper and lower layers, a relatively stiff heel and shank reinforcing piece interposed between said layers and secured thereto by means of cement, and a resilient shank stiffener secured to the lower side of said heel and shank piece.

4. A shoe bottom unit comprising an insole split along the heel. and shank portions to` provide upper and lower` sole members, a stiff reinforcing piece for the heel and shank portions of the insole located between said members and adhesively secured thereto, the shank portions of said insole members andy said reinforcing piece being arched both longitudinally and. transversely, and a longitudinally arched shank stilfener located between said reinforcing piece and one of said sole members.

5. A shoe: bottom unit comprising an insole having a continuous lasting lip extending along the lower side of its shank and forward portions and havingy its heel and shank portion divided into upper and lower layers integrally connected at their forward extremities with said forward portion, a heel and shank` reinforcing piece interposed between said layers and secured to both layers by means of adhesive, and a shank stiffener secured to said reinforcing piece.

6.r A shoe bottom unit comprising an insole having its heel andy shank portion divided into upper and lower members which are formed integrally with the forepart of the insole and having a lip extending along` the forepart of the insole and along the shank portion of said lower member and formed integrally with said parts of the insole, and a heel and shank reinforcing piece and a shank stiifener located between said upper and lower members.

'7. A shoe bottom unit comprising an insole having a heel and shank reinforcing piece and a shank stiflener located between integrally connected upper andlower heel and shank members of the insole, and a tape secured to the insole and so located as to provide a lasting lip extending along the shank vportion and the forepart of the insole.

8.. A shoe bottom unit comprising an insole having aheel and shank reinforcing piece and a shank stiffener located between integrally connected upper and lower heel and shank members of the insole, and a tape secured to the insole in the forepart of the unit and-to the insole andthe reinforcing piece in the shank portion of the unit to constitute a lasting lip.

9.`- A shoe bottom unit comprising an insole havingv a heel` and shank reinforcing piece and a shank stiifener located between integrally connected upper and lower heel and shank members of the insole, and a tape stitched along its central median line to the shank portion and forepart of the insole and having its portions at opposite sidesr of the stitching raisedv into positions to constitute a lasting lip.,

JOHN M. WHELTON. 

